Movement is not Trivial
This past week has been a whirlwind of chaos, fear, strength, and humanity. We are all feeling anxious, nervous, uncertain, and divisive. We're also learning, connecting, listening, pausing, growing, and hoping. I've been thinking about how we can be in a place of such opposing moments of despair along with uplifting hope. Everything is cyclical, and everything moves in cycles of tension and release. From that, we can create change and movement.
With everything we are going through as a community, it is quite confronting, making us analyze how things have been, to see what needs change, and what might continue to be positive. Last week I was considering not teaching my classes, wondering if it even mattered while all this fear and anger was going on. I was wondering if my teaching was trivial, or even harmful, to go along with a regular routine as if things were normal. I wondered if any of what I do was of any importance at all while there are people marching on the streets, protesting violence and fighting for human rights.
It is easy to think of a movement practice as trivial or self-indulgent, especially when there is so much else going on around us.
But then I saw writing posted by one of my mentors, reminding me that our movement practices are needed now more than ever.
Within the chaos, our exercise routine can give us stability. A movement practice grounds us and brings us into the present. We feel our bodies move, the rate of breath increase, the muscles activate, the joints mobilize. While we're feeling the physical effects of the present moment we are centered, similar to how meditation calms and focuses the mind. This centering presents us with a space in which we can calm our own stressors and simply be.
While these practices assist the mind to become centered and focused, movement practices also train the body to become strong, agile, and capable.
The mental and physical components of our experience are so interlinked even though in Western thought we tend to separate them. If the body feels good, the mind can more easily feel good. One of my favorite quotes from Joe Pilates, states that "physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness". This always reminds me of how important our fitness routines are. When we're in pain and discomfort, it is more challenging to be in a good mental state. And when it's challenging to be in a good mental state, we are unable to help others. Truly, exercise is vital in times like these, helping us to center and focus.
My own movement practice is consistently necessary for me. I always feel better, calmer, stronger, more capable afterward. It is something I know I must schedule in my day in order to be my best self, even when I'm tired, as I know it will help me feel better so I can better serve others. I am a better teacher when I make time for my own practice.
For this reason, among many others, I realize that it is still important to continue our movement practices even when times are stressful, when we are sad, when we are hurting, when our community is struggling. In our own practice, we can find our own strengths, take our own breaths to refocus ourselves. Then we can be an anchor of strength and light for others, and continue supporting our community.
